Egg carton



July 30, 1935. CAULEY 2,009,874

EGG CARTON Filed May 25, 1934 INVENTOR Thomas? Caulqy,

ATTORNEYS Patented July 30, 1935 PATENT OFFICE EGG CARTON Thomas P. Caul ey, Buffalo, N. Y.

Application May 25, 1934, Serial No. 727,530

6 Claims.

This invention relates to egg cartons and primarily to the candling type of carton. It has heretofore been proposed to provide egg cartons with opposed openings by means of which the eggs could readily be candled or tested when the carton was held against a source of light. These openings, however, left the eggs exposed, and were thus objectionable for various reasons.

The present invention has for its object to provide an improved egg carton of the candling type which will also embodythe advantages of the non-candling type, so that the eggs will be fully protected and may readily be candled when desired.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a plan view of the improved egg carton in one embodiment, with one shutter in opened position, and portions broken away to more clearly depict the invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section therethrough.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view more clearly illustrating the positioning of one of the shutters.

Fig. 5 is a sectional viewof another embodiment of the invention.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1 through 4, the egg carton l is of the double channeled form having two rows of cells 2, each row containing six cells. The channels are substantially V-shaped, with their side walls 3 converging downwardly into narrow bottom walls 4.-'The outer side walls of the carton have the covers or top walls 5 hinged thereto for folding over the cells 2 and being secured in closed position by their flaps 6 which are inserted downwardly into the channels. The channels are divided transversely by partitions 1 to form the cells. Thus each cell will be defined by top, bottomand side walls 5, 4, 3 and 1, respectively.

Each cell is provided in a pair of opposing walls with centrally disposed openings 8 and 9 through which the egg may be candled or tested as to its wholesomeness. These openings are preferably in the top and bottom walls of the cell.

Means are provided for closing either one or both of the candling openings of each cell, although in the drawing only one of the cell openings is closed. According to this disclosure, a shutter or slide I0 is interposed between the top wall and the transverse partitions I, the movable shutter having openings ll designed to be brought into registry with the top wall openings 8 by moving the shutter from its normal position in which latter the candling openings are shut or closed. Thus, in Fig. 1 the upper shutter is shifted lengthwise to an open position and such carton section is ready for candling the eggs. This shifting movement may be imparted by the tabs [2 which project through slots l3 provided in the outer side walls 3 adjacent the line of hinge of the top wall 5. The shutters are guided in their sliding movement by the side walls 3 1 and the flaps 6, and are readily placed and removed by simply withdrawing the tabs -l2 from their slots, as indicated by the broken line showing in Fig. 4.

In Fig. 5 is depicted the style of egg carton l' w having three rows of cells of four cells each. This carton has its cells 2' defined by the outer side wal1s3' and the partitions I, the bottom wall 4 and the top wall or cover 5, the latter hingedly carrying its securing flap 6. In this 20 embodiment the shutter I0 is slidably connected to the carton by two tabs l2 fitting in slots adjacent the hinge lines between the top wall and the carton body and between the top wall and the flap 6. This construction permits the cover 25 to carry the shutter with it to and from its closed position as indicated by the broken lines in Fig. 5.

To more satisfactorily and safely hold the eggs, the cartons may be provided with spacers or fillers, as shown at H in Fig. 3 and I4 in Fig. 5, 30 which are provided with seats l5 to center and hold the eggs in proper position for candling. The centers or bottoms of these seats are pro vided with openings IS in registry with the 7 candling openings of bottom walls.

In practice the shutters are operatively dis posed so as to close the candling or inspection openings and thus serve to protect the eggs from direct contact with exterior objects. When a 40 customer is making a purchase, the shutters may be opened and the eggs or other content inspected and tested at that time, following which the shutters are again closed for complete protection of the contents.

While the foregoing description is in detail, it is not intended thereby to restrict the invention beyond the scope of the'appended claims. Furthermore, the shutter may be arranged against the bottom wall or adjacent any other 50 wall which may be provided with candling openings.

What is claimed is:

1. An egg candling carton comprising a body having side and bottom walls and a cover wall 55 the shutter and the top and 5 hinged to a side wall, partition means dividing the body into egg containing cells, the cover and bottom walls having openings to each cell by which the egg therein may be candied, a shutter slidably disposed adjacent one of said apertured walls and provided with parts movable from and across the wall openings, said body having a slot in one wall portion, and a shutter operating tab connected to the shutter and projecting through the body slot for operation therein and thereby to shift the shutter to and from an operative position.

2. An egg candling carton comprising a body having side and bottom walls and a cover wall hinged to a side wall, partition means dividing the body into egg containing cells, the cover and bottom walls having openings to each cell by which the egg therein may be candied, and a shutter slidably disposed adjacent one of said apertured walls and provided with parts movable irom and across the wall openings, said body having a slot adjacent the cover hinge, and said shutter being supported by said partition means and having an operating tab projecting through such body slot.

3. An egg candling carton comprising a body having side and bottom walls and a cover wall hinged to a side wall, partition means dividing the body into egg containing cells, the cover and bottom walls having openings to each cell by which the egg therein may be candied, a shutter slidably disposed adjacent one of said apertured walls and provided with parts movable from and across the wall openings, and means cooperating with the partition means above and below the eggs and provided with seats receiving the latter to support the same in proper candling position, said seats having openings in registry with the wall openings and said means serving to guide the shutter.

4. An egg carton having cells defined by p, bottom and side walls with the top and bottom walls provided with registering candling openings, and means carried by the carton beneath the top wall for limited movement from and to a position to close such openings to protect the eggs said means having an operating part engageable with a portion of the walls for defining such limited movement.

5. An egg carton having egg containing cells closed by a common top wall, the wall being hinged at one side to the body for folding down over the cells and having on its opposite edge a tuck-in flap for securing the top wall in closed position, the wall and body portions defining the top and bottom walls of the cells being provided with openings through which the eggs may be candied, and a shutter confined between the flap and the hinged mounting of the top wall and having openings registerable with the wall openings when abnormally disposed, the shutter openings being out of registry with the wall openings when the shutter is normally disposed as a salable package.

6. A carton for vending eggs, comprising a body with top, bottom and side walls and partition means forming with the walls individual egg containing cells, opposed ones of said walls having registering candling openings by which the eggs in the cells may be tested, and a closure member having parts normally obstructing the openings of one wall and movable to uncover such openings to permit candling of the eggs, said closure member and said body having parts interlocking to removably hold the closure member against unauthorized displacement from the body when in use, said interlocking parts permitting such movement of the closure member to and from its normal position.

THOMAS P. CAULEY. 

